Railway rail joint



Feb. 7, 1939, A. N, BRGDEN *2,146,248

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Filed Nov. 12, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 1 Feb. 7, 1939. AA. BROGLDEN 2,146,248 v RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Filed'Nov. 12, 193e 2sheets-sheet l2 Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICEApplication November 12, 1936, serial-No. 110,522 In Great BritainDecember 11, 1935 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in rails and rail jointsof the type in which the ends of lengths or sections of rail are dividedfrom its centre to be of half-thickness, so that when fitted to asimilarly out rail-end, the two cut parts overlap and form a continuousrail of even thickness.

-According to one embodiment of my invention, an end of a rail ofhalf-thickness has a pair of elongated bolt holes alone for the bolts ofa twobolt fish plate or washer plate, the end of half thicknessextending beyond the end of the sh plates or washer plates andoverlapping a pair of .adjacently disposed chairs on supportingsleepers.

Other'objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

In order thatl the invention and its mode of operation may be readilyunderstood by per- 20 sons skilled in the art, I have in theaccompanying drawings and in the detailed following description basedthereupon, set out an embodiment of the same. In the drawings: 25 Fig.`1 is a diagrammatic View of the use of rails under the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view. Figure 3 is a side elevation of the rail jointwith the sh plate removed and showing the po- 30 sition of the jointupon the chairs of the adjacent supporting sleepers.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken through the rail sectionsand iish plate at one of the bolt holes showing the clamping bolt forjoining the sections.

Figure 5 is .a horizontal sectional View through the rail joint.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the rail joint with a slightly modifiedform of sh plate ap- 40 plied thereto.

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional View of the rail joint whenemployingl the fish plates as shown in Figure 6 with parts looselyassembled.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View through 45 the same when the jointis tightened and illustrating in dotted lines a flanged rail togetherwith its chair support.

One or both ends of rail lengths I, 2, are of half width, as shown at 3,4, respectively, and have 50 their edges preferably bevelled as shown at5. These half width ends are perforated with holes I of standarddiameter, but elongated into somewhat elliptical shape as shown, toallow of bolting together of the joints by means of bolts 1 of 65standard diameter, but allowing for the expan- (Cl. 23S-237) sion of therails. Washer plates 8 are used as shown.

It is essential to support the joint upon a pair oi adjacent sleepersS-Figure 2-and chairs I0, the rail ends being secured therein by woodenor metal keys.

If desired, the rail ends may be connected by means oi standard iishplates cut into halves, and by means of standard bolts, thus affording aconsiderable saving where these parts are already available. Such ajoint is shown in Figures 6 to 9, the standard sh plate being cut intotwo pieces II and having the usual pear-shaped bolt holes I2,co-operating with snugs I3 on the I, standard bolt I4 to preventrotation of these. 1

It will be obvious that by the use of standard sh plate parts II, asshown, that the joint will be considerably strengthened owing to thesupport of the fish plates upon the rail ends 3, 4.

It will be obvious that the invention is applicable to any Aform ofrail. A bull-headed rail has been shown purely by way of example; thejoint being shown applied to a at bottomed or anged rail, in dottedlines at I1, Figure 8.

1t win be appreciated that this joint enabies 25 shorter bolts to beused if desired, with consequent saving in expense, and it is possibleto use a pair of bolts instead of four bolts and two iish plates, as hashitherto been necessary.

It will also be possible to arrange the chairs nearer to one .another atthe rail ends, thus strengthening the joint. It will be noted from V thedrawings that the end 5 of each lapping section is spaced away from theopposed end of the cutaway portion so as to provide considerableclearance. This, together with the use of a short washer plate whichdoes not overlap the joint between the sections, and the arrangement ofthe chairs disposed on opposite sides of the joint, provides aconstruction which permits expansion and contraction of the rail underrising and lowering temperatures, and which also permits the rails todeflect and react to vibration, not only between adjacent sleepersthroughout the length of the rail, but in the region of thejoint. Theshortened sleeper or washer plate firmly clamps the web sectionstogether and prevents any loosening of the nuts, but does not interferewith deflection of the rails at the joint.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentiszl. A rail joint comprising rails having the end portions thereof cutaway to provide lapping sections, the inner contacting faces of whichlie in a central vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of therails, non-resilient means for connecting said overlapping end sectionsincluding a washer plate disposed between the ends of said lappingsections, elongated bolt holes extending through the washer plate andthe lapping sections, and bolts extending through said bolt holes forclamping the washer plate and lapping sections together, the end of eachlapping section being suiciently spaced away longitudinally from theopposed shoulder formed in the other rail by the cutaway portion thereofto permit freedom for vertical deflection at all times.

2. A rail joint comprising rails having the end portions thereof cutyaway to provide lapping sections, the inner contacting faces of whichlie in a central vertical plane containing the longitudinal axis of therails, non-resilient means for connecting said overlapping end sectionsincluding a Washer plate disposed between the ends of said lappingsections, two elongated bolt holes only extending through the washerplate and the lapping sections, and bolts extending through said boltholes for clamping the Washer plate and lapping sections together,supporting chairs adjacently disposed. on opposite sides of the joint,the ends of the lapping sections extending beyond the washer plate andoverlying said chairs, the end of each lapping section beingsufficiently spaced away longitudinally from the opposed shoulder formedin the other rail by the cutaway portion thereof to permit freedom forvertical deflection at all times.

ALFRED NATHAN BROGDEN.

